[Blog] A Resurrected Life

"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised." (1 Corinthians 15:12-13).

I have been to a number of funerals in the past already and I assume a lot of you have as well. Did it ever cross in your mind what if that dead person awakens and rise from his coffin? Will you run away? If you ask me, of course I would! Who wouldn't be afraid of a dead person came to life right before our eyes? But I am very sure that no matter how scary this picture may be, to his family, it will be a celebrtion eventually for they would be able to celebrate life with him once more.

Do you see the picture? No, not the running and the screaming part but the joy that has been brought to the family's life when that dead man came to life again. That joy that even the greatest painter cannot put that kind of gladness and happiness - such a celebration - on a canvass. That's the perfect picture of the good news of His resurrection. We should be filled with joy, happiness, gladness, celebration for the One who was foretold to be our Savior will rise from the dead who will turn our sins as red as crimson to us being as white as snow.

In verse 17:

"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins."

and in verse 22

"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

Do you see the picture? We all have been born with sin because of the very first couple - Adam and Eve - and this has been a stronghold as a curse from generation to generation. We need something stronger to break this curse then came Christ. By His resurrection, we are made alive again - living in no shame with all our sins washed away by His blood. We are new creations - the old has gone, the new has come. By His resurrection, we are no more in our sins.

So celebrate our new life with Him. Christ did not remain dead -- He defeated death then came to life again and lives eternally with the Father in heaven -- that's the truth. Let us be thankful that we have a God who assures us of life everlasting through Christ's resurrection. Rejoice!

[Poem] In Him, I am new

You were there from the start
Long before the big sea part
The sun You made above so bright
For paths that once not under the light.

First couple, the first parents
Whom You did not give Eden for rent
Nor lease for a year or two
But a lifetime of greatness to them is due.

Til the bite so infamous was heard
Across paradise as he left behind his herd
How quickly they forget the one command
Not to eat from that one tree of the land.

Fallen short of Your glory
Be it today or the first of God's fury
Who will wash our sins away
That started so far from the scene of today?

Obedience in the heart of The Son
That suffered and said "It is done!"
As finished work to once prophesied
Came to earth for us and died.

I am now as white as snow
Washed clean by The Blood that flowed
As His body lashed to bleed and wound
Reconciles The Father and our lives once doomed.

I am free in You
A life of freedom I never knew
His promise came with You Calvary
Eternal life with Him and a life of victory.

[Poem] Thank You, Lord

As the early wind breezes through my window
And the sun bids me ahoy and hello
I stare at Your wonders
And thank you Lord.

As the dew damps the grass of the land
And rain waters the thirsty dry sand
I stare at Your wonders
And thank you Lord.

As the majestic eagles fly above the sky
And strong wind propels him up high
I stare at Your wonders
And thank you Lord.

As the breakwater cuts the raging sea
And banks stop a river overflowing
I stare at Your wonders
And thank you Lord.

As the trees grow tall on a wide plain
And flowers color the land as paint
I stare at Your wonders
And thank you Lord.

As the solar ball gives the day heat and light
And the lunar guy cuts the darkness of night
I stare at Your wonders
And thank you Lord.

I can think of many things You did
So many things to write of Your great deeds
There are no words to exactly describe
But all glory to You Lord, ascribe!

[Poem] PATIBULUM

Pasanin na kay bigat
Nakapatong sa Iyong balikat
Lakad, kaladkad Iyong sandalyas
Sunod sa kadete sa bawat senyas.

Kay layo ng Iyong binagtas
Sapin sa paa halos mapigtas
Sakit, pagod, uhaw Iyong dinanas
Alang-alang sa lahat, sa aming pagkaligtas.

Di lingid sa aming kaalaman
Ika'y Sugo ng aming Kamahalan
Huling araw sa ami'y ipinaalam
Sa takdang oras, kalangita'y lalamlam.

Dinig sa kalayuan Iyong pagpalahaw
Hampas at hataw ay umalingawngaw
Bawat sakit, bawat hapdi
Iyong tiniis na ang utos ay tupdin.

Nang matapos yaring pagpapahirap
Krus itinaas, itinulos nang ganap
Pitong habilin Iyo nang binigkas
Sinambit bago ang Iyong buhay magwakas.

"Naganap na!", dinig huling sinabi
Iyong kapalaran isinulat at hinabi
Kamatayan man ang Iyong kinahantungan
Katumbas naman ay buhay na walang hanggan.

Bugtong na Anak O kay buti Mo
Pagsunod sa Ama, kahit katawan ay magupo
Walang kaparis ang pag-ibig na ito
Na alay lamang ng pusong busilak at totoo.

[Poem] Hear me O God

I poured my heart all night
Groaned in suffering and plight
Tears drown my eyes of sight
And worn my strength out and might.

Hear me O God, hear me
Have You no pity in me?
It is I Your child in plea
Fall on no deaf ears, hear me.

As the night crawls to the morning
So as I let myself go singing
Before You God I beg and come kneeling
Asking You please listen to me wailing.

Save me from the years of darkness
Save me from the years of distress
Save me from drowning in wickedness
That left me with nothing but a big mess.

To You I come running
To You I come knocking
To You I come kneeling
To bow down and get healing.

Heal the mind so crooked
Heal the heart so wicked
Heal me O God, heal me
Of the brokenness that's in me.

Apart from You I am nothing
Apart from You I mean not a thing
For I am the scum of the earth
That amounts to tons of filth.

Renew me O God
Take me from the pile of mud
For it's in You I am new
With clear horizon I have in view.

-mmp 23march2012 5:48am

[Poem] I do

Not long ago I dreamed,
Of what this day would have been,
Til this moment just you and me,
With God our witness and the people here we see.

Acquainting with you is a skill,
Didn't know anything, so nil.
Are you the one in God's will
Or a daydream by the window sill?

As days and nights gone by,
Eyes on you, with such stare and sly.
No one knows what's on my mind,
That I admire such one of a kind.

The moment I waited all my life,
Is like perfectly carved with a sharp knife.
Where details were meticulously etched,
And drawn more beautifully than a sketch.

'I do', is my answer to you.
I promise to God and heard by all of you.
Today, I start forever and a day with you,
My best friend, my lover, God's blessing that's all you.

-mmp 23march2012 4:55am

[Poem] Glory to the Highest

Glory to the highest of all,
The Lord our God behold!
Lay down a royal pathway,
On to where His presence may stay.

O wonderful are the works of His hands,
More than what our minds could understand,
Breathtaking, majestic are His creations,
Crafted, molded by the God of passion.

We may say how much we love the King,
Yet no one can out give the love He brings.
We may say we obey all He says,
Yet His Son embodied prophesy to the detail.

His Name all day we praise,
Let our hearts sing it out in loud raise,
To the highest place His glory shall reign,
As we bow down before the King of grace.

Glory to the God of wonders!
Let nothing be a sight of squander.
Every heartbeat, every drumbeat,
All for Him to the God at the highest seat!

-mmp 15march12 2:17am

[Poem] No one but the Great I AM

You are so big as huge as the universe,
You are so great, overwhelmed at One source,
You are awesome no words can describe it,
There's no other Name but You, the Great I AM.

You are the healer to the decaying flesh,
You quench thirst when we need a refresh,
You are the commander of every battle we conquer,
There's no other Name but You, the Great I AM.

You meet us at our situation,
Your love overflows in once an empty station,
You came down from heaven to serve us,
O how can we repay the love You have shown us?

You are the God of all gods, the King of all kings,
The Lord I would surrender to and serve,
For Thy flesh pierced and died on the cross,
A perfect lamb of God all praise You deserve.

[Poem] Aking AMA

Isang hapong malamlam,
Na ang araw ay hindi matanaw,
Samu't sari sa aking balintataw,
Alaala ng kahapong wari'y nais nang maparam.

Madalas sa isipa'y sumasagi,
Aking buhay yaring ibahagi,
Sa kung sinumang nais pumawi,
Ng lungkot sa mukha ay nakaguhit.

Taon ay lumipas,
Waring kahapon ay kay layong binagtas,
Pusong sawi sumuko at napagal,
Na ang buhay minsa'y inibig nang mapigtal.

Ngunit nang Ika'y lumapit,
Iyong sabi'y sa Iyong kamay ay kumapit,
Ako'y sumunod na pawang nabatubalani,
Patungong daang matuwid ito'y aking batid.

Ikaw na nga, Ikaw na,
Ang pinakahihintay ng aking tadhana!
Kulang man ako sa Iyo'y haharap,
Walang katumbas ang buhay sa Iyo ay nahagap.

Panginoon ako'y Iyong patawarin,
Sa mga kasalanang hindi ninais hangarin,
Taglay sa puso ako'y Iyong mapansin,
Nang mapawi lahat yaring isipin.

O Ama kay buti Mo,
Buhay ng Iyong Anak ay isinugo,
Upang kaming uhaw at tuyo,
Ay mailigtas, bagaman kulang, Iyo pa ring binuo.

[Blog] Stay hungry, stay foolish

Steve Jobs said this as he ended his speech in his 2005 Stanford University Commencement address. He said, "stay hungry, stay foolish." I thought of it as some kind of another American idiom but as I was thinking what was the real meaning of it, came a realization.

For me, the essence of everything he said in his speech was that we must not settle to just what we have but to keep looking til we find what is it that we love doing. However, he did not say to slack around and hop from one thing to another. What he wants to say is that we must keep propelling ourselves to soar greater heights. At the end of the day, what matters is that we love what we're doing for out of it is something wonderful after all. Then what is it about staying hungry and foolish to make us successful?

Have you ever felt hunger in your life? Or have you ever done something you consider as foolish? Well, I believe I have in so many points in my life. I have gone hungry and foolish literally but had some moments when it has also been an idiom to me. What really is it that we must go hunger and foolish about? Will it be worth it if we will be one? Stop. Before you even think of its disconnect, let's dig on to its possibility and impact to our lives.

Hunger is not always related to food. It could be for love, relationship, knowledge or even power. As flesh, our hunger for something is insatiable. Why did I say so? It is because if we're satisfied, we won't ask for more in another time. Having hunger for something new is normal to human beings. We did not stop at creating bicyles to travel the vast land but came up with airplanes to travel across the seas. We had that hunger then we create something beautiful out of it.

Have you made yourself look foolish in front of other people? How would you know that you looked like one? People tell us so we know we have been a fool. Again, influence played an important part in making us realize what kind of a fool we have become but that only because of people telling us that we are. On the hind sight, we believe that we are just doing good or even awesome until the world stops us because they think we are just not making sense at all.

I remember, people thought that it is impossible to land on the moon. It was kind of hard to understand specially with the technology back then. But out of foolishness of one's mind and the hunger to get that feel of stepping on the moon had Apollo 11 realizing all these things. Did Steve Jobs stop from being a college drop out and just bum around? If he did then the world wouldn't have the technology that our generation has. His story of ups and downs clearly showed how he hurddled the obstacles of his own life. Mark Zuckerberg did not stop til his brainchild - Facebook - is finally realized. The four corners of his classroom did not limit him with what he can have. Hence, he dreamt bigger.

Bottomline, we must be better than what we were yesterday. We must outwit ourselves after another good output. We must yearn for excellence for we worship God in everything that we put our hands on to. This blog speaks to me and convicts me at the same time. I may have done a lot of foolish and shameful things in the past but these must not stop me from standing up to pick up the pieces of my life again. I have been broken but He molds me like a potter's hand to make me whole once more. I may have not been excellent in so many things but our God deserves nothing but excellence so I will be.

Be God-conscious all the time, in everything that we do. All for His glory!

[Poem] YOU and i

I said...

Are You there?
Are You actually there?
Why I see nothing but sky?
Shouldn't You be within my sight?

Do You hear me?
Do You listen to me?
In my cry and my plea,
Do You just want me to flee?

Why can't I feel You?
Why say near me and no You?
Why people believe You and Your power,
When there's no one at the tower?


YOU say...

I AM here.
Always around you and near.
Didn't I say that you walk in faith
And not plainly by sight?

I heard you my child,
Every word you said and cried.
Wait, believe in faith
For time is your friend and mate.

I AM around
And my love for you abounds.
What people say cannot make you feel better
Because only I AM the source of love and more.


I say now...

His love warmed my heart so cold
And cleansed me as white as a snow.
His love remains unchanged forever
For He is God not bound by time ever.

"I love you, my child"
Is what God engraved in my heart.
My soul delights in the Lord,
As I say and write every word.

[Poem] To YOU all my praise

Let me worship You, Lord
Let my heart beat for You
That my mouth utter each word
Of praises deserved by a Mighty One like You.

Your greatness I will sing
With a heart of no shame
For only love that You bring
To a world where sin is fame.

You God are slow to anger
And You condemn the sin not the sinner
For Your love is immeasurable
Only You are willing to give and able.

My God, my dad
You never fail to make me glad
As promises You gave in Your word
Abound us with such grace to the world.

We exalt You, oh Lord
We're empowered by Your word.
The highest seat and regards You deserve
In our hearts Your name is carved.

[Poem] I bleed my heart to You

Oh God I ask for forgiveness
Let my heart go boast with less
Of myself I speak and soar
But You shall I exalt all more.

Let Your Spirit come upon me
So I can be guided indeed
With only the light that comes from Thee
That tears down the wall of darkness and greed.

Oh God please reign in me
Reign in my soul and in my deeds
For You are the one who can calm me
In distress Your word feeds.

[Blog] Be in love with GOD

I bought 3 books last Sunday and one of them is LOVESTRUCK. I would like to believe that most of the population must have read that already but it was the first time for me. Actually, it was my very first time to finish a book without any pressure. It was fun to read for it brought me to another dimension where I felt like a teenager again who is longing to know more about what God wants me to learn at that stage in life. As a teenager, I can say that no one taught me the right things to do though there was my lola and my dad to "control" me, I still feel that there was something missing in their so called guidance.

I used to be a part of a group back in the day where I was part of this sort of Sunday school if you call it like that but the focus was Mary. (Don't get me wrong guys! I still love Mary and I acknowledge her being the one who bore the Son of the Living God.) I know that I was with the right people in that group for most of them are from honors class and a lot are really nice. I enjoyed every single time I was there in that group. When I graduated from high school and was introduced to a non-sectarian group, that's when i started drifting away from the good people. I did not attend church anymore and I did not meet with the group again but this is purely a decision I made for myself back then. A lot of things happen in between and looking back at them, my life was a mess because there was no one who dared to stop by and see the potential in me. In short, I was not discipled by anyone.

Everything I did before was just about me and what will give me happiness at the moment and a lot of times, I was left empty and lonely. Days passed by and I saw my future to be darker and no where to go. Good thing there was DFA who kept me in school if not, I probably would not be making this blog at all. You may all be thinking what's the connection of this with the book I mentioned at the start of this item? HUGE CONNECTION!

It was super fun to read that 100-ish paged book. Though it's not as thick as Harry Potter's nor as exciting as Twilight, it was so worth the time I spent to read and finish that tiny book. Every word is like a dagger to my heart especially when it talked about relationships and how people of this world thinks and deals with relationships. I may not be able to tell the details of my past but GOD renewed and restored me through Jesus. Seeing the last period of the book made me think what have I done with my life. Why did I waste my time in those activities that hurt God? I made the most shameful decisions in life and even acted on them but GOD is a loving God. He forgave me and gave me a new life, new heart, new people, better friends.

*SIGH* It was such a nice read and the youth should grab one for themselves to know that God has made them in His own image and likeness. They must realize that Holy Spirit resides in them and they should take respect it is God's not theirs. They would also realize that there's more to temporary happiness for God promised eternal happiness in HIM. The book made me realize how important it is to honor our parents for I am guilty of it. They would realize that parents are there to protect and love them and are there for us no matter what happens. They would realize how huge is GOD's love for us no matter how big or small our sinful acts may be. Do something worthwhile like this for an idle mind is the devil's workshop and we should not let this happen instead, we should let GOD reign over our lives. I am happy that God is in control of my life and I am forever thankful for being HIS child.

READ. REFLECT. GLORIFY GOD.

[Poem] You are my Lord

You promised of not leaving me,
Yet in return I ran away from thee.
You ensured grace and mercy upon me,
Yet I hold back my tenth from thee.

You assured healing of our weakling body
Yet we don't ask for it boldly.
You assured of my family's restoration,
Yet my heart wanted emancipation.

You secured me a bright and blessed future
Yet I did things my way as I mature.
You loved me for who and what I am
Yet I relied on how good You made me of now that I am.

My heart is crushed oh Lord,
Knowing what You have done at the cross
You gave your life to mankind
While we are sinning and do not mind.

Lord, why did you endure the pain?
Why not those who put you in vain?
Why did you have to die
If up to now people would lie?

What You put Yourself through,
Is something not the strongest can do.
Do you think it's worth it
Even if You do not gain out of it?

You answered, "My child, I was who the Prophets foretold of coming,
I am the One prophesied hanging at the cross dying,
I am the One who is the sent by the Father for you,
I am the One whose blood will be shed for you."

Hearing this I come kneeling before You,
I bow my head before You,
I am so sorry Lord that I questioned You
And all I ask is forgiveness from You.

[Blog] God loves you

GOD LOVES YOU. This is a simple message yet is oftentimes not easily understood. I remember once a friend asked me "is He enough?" With boldness I answered, YES! He is enough though my life is not perfect and that I still experience heart aches and the like, I know that I have a God who will be there to come and rescue me. One time, another set of friends asked me if I am happy. I said I am. They insisted that I don't look like one and when I asked if it's because I do not a boyfriend then they got perked up and suddenly got interested in knowing more about my answer. I thought to myself if I tell them that God makes me happy, how will they react to it? Will I be mocked and all that? But nonetheless, I answered them that it was God who makes me happy. I have this kind of peace in my heart that no one would be able to understand. God makes me happy and I have this confidant whom I can say anything that is in my heart. A boyfriend would not be able to understand what I am going through. For once, he might be coming from another industry or that he has a different angle of understanding than mine then there’s fight once more. Can you stand a relationship like that? God just loves me and that’s all that I need.

Just more than a month ago, a friend’s heart just got broken and until now, I know that she is still hurting even if she would not tell me about it but God’s always there for us to comfort and love us above all. I remember once I told her, that thing happened to her maybe because God is saying something to her. She maybe too busy attending to her own issues and forgets that there is a God who is just waiting for her to come to. I do not have the mind of God but what impressed in my heart is that God is a jealous God (Deuteronomy 6:15) and what takes our time off from Him, He takes away from us. Painful but true. I feel that she had given this person so much time and that she focused her attention to him but one day, he’s gone. As human beings we are conformed by the fact that when we have someone in our lives – a better half that is – but we neglect God’s presence in our lives. He is a God that loves us unconditionally no matter how many mistakes have we had already, He will love us period. That person may be a better half to you but God is the best partner we could ever ask for.

So many times in the past I asked if God can hear my prayers, my cry, my plea. Is He listening to me? If so, why is He not answering them? It is because I am too busy finding for the solution to my problems. I run after the possible solution to them. I run towards the people I can call to ease the pain and the suffering but I run away from God for i thought He is not listening to me and He is too busy to handle my issues. A realization came in and I realized why not come to Him and cry your heart to Him? I am not saying that I go to Him all the time. I slip a lot of times but we have to make a conscious effort to go back to Him. He is the Great I AM. He is everything that we ask and need in our lives. So love life and our heart aches are just small stuff for Him to take care of for He takes care of everything we can possibly imagine.

I am just at awe on how amazing my God is. I pray that you experience this too.

[Blog] Forgive and Forget

Amidst everything that is happening these days, I lift everything up to God that He will change the hearts of these people to fulfill the command that He said in the Scripture --- "Love one another as I [Jesus] have loved you." People were hurt, are hurting and maybe will continue to be hurt and be at that state until they step out IN FAITH saying that they will FORGIVE, MOVE ON and let GOD make His way into their hearts. I am hurt that seeds of division are planted in their hearts but I am sure that God is even more hurt seeing His children not loving and forgiving each other. FORGIVENESS is ALWAYS a conscious effort and decision to do when we say that we love God.

Let me just share some points about FORGIVENESS in the recently concluded T4V in VCF Pioneer on what the Bible says about Forgiveness.

(1) Forgiveness is our DUTY and there are no limitations on how we should forgive or how many times. Forgiveness is our duty because without it, there's a root of bitterness that will grow in us that will cause trouble to a lot of people [Hebrews 12:15]

(2) There are no limitations on who we should forgive or how many times. It is mentioned in the Bible that we must forgive our brothers and sisters not seven times but seventy-seven times. [MATT 18:21-22] It's so easy to count the number of times we have forgiven someone who had oppressed us but have we thought of counting the number of times we have been forgiven by Our God? Who are you to count them as you do this for your brothers or sisters?

(3) If we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven. The Bible said in Mark 11:25 that: "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Yes, it's so hard to forgive the people who hurt us and it's our natural tendency to revenge but God promised that He will avenge for us and will curse those who have cursed us. He also instructed us not to revenge but leave room for God's wrath. [Romans 12:19] You may say that you know these already and the nitty-gritty of this word but why do we actually do this? We do this because this is exactly what Jesus did for us and even was sent here by God the Father to wash away our sins. Also, since we are claiming that we have Christ in our hearts, we must forgive because God has forgiven us in Christ! Need I say more about forgiveness?

Many of you might ask how we forgive from the heart. According to the T4V as well, the following are the steps:

(1) Acknowledge the hurt.

(2) Resolve to forgive.

(3) Pray to release forgiveness to those who have hurt you and release blessings in their lives

Many of us got stuck on the 1st step that's why we cannot release forgiveness in our heart. There are two more steps and it takes FAITH in GOD to move to the next one. We must start and finish this strong so we’ll have peace in our hearts. Many of you might react: "WHAT?!? She already hurt me, I forgave her and now I am blessing her?!? No way!" --> This mentality is so wrong! The title of this blog is "FORGIVE and FORGET" and a lot of us are guilty of just doing one of these two words. This is not alien to me because at one point in time, I chose one and did not mind the other one then I say I moved on. NO! You cannot forgive if you have not forgotten what she did as well as you cannot forget is you do not forgive. It's hard to forget but pray that God takes it away from your heart. When we resist to forgive and forget, our hearts harden thus it becomes stone in the process but the Lord said "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." [Ezekiel 36:26] You cannot say that you have moved on but say that you do not forget. You SHOULD and MUST forget once you release forgiveness from your heart.

Sigh… I am just sad with the sight of these things happening within my yard and I am accountable to God that I will guide them properly and will enlighten them as they go through this battle and come out victorious still after the storm. Today, make that conscious decision. You will put this issue to rest; leave them alone and let them do their thing; cry out loud for one last time; stop pointing fingers to who is at fault and who we think is the victim. REMEMBER: If you point your finger to someone, the other 4 are pointing back at you. PRAY for forgiveness and compassion and LET GOD ARISE in the middle of this turmoil.

[Blog] Steadfast Love

Last Sunday, I heard a very old Christian song that the long time Christians have been singing like forever and it talks about the steadfast love of the Lord that no matter what we have gone through or what are the choices we make, His love will be there unshaken and steady. This is a hymnal song by the Maranatha Music and I want you all to be blessed as the song is:

-----------------

As we gather may Your Spirit work within us

As we gather may we glorify Your name

Knowing well that as our hearts begin to worship

We'll be blessed because we came

We'll be blessed because we came

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases

His mercies never come to an end

They are new every morning

New every morning

Great is Thy faithfulness O Lord
Great is Thy faithfulness O Lord

-----------------

Lord, You are the author of everything in this world and I am so happy to know that I am serving a God of love, grace and mercy. You renew these everyday so that we may receive a new thing from You. Forgive me for I shortchange you with a lot of things. Lord, thank you for assuring us that we have a God that we can lean to and we can trust every word You say. I am forever thankful of you my God!

[Poem] My Lord, My God

I stopped and fell on my knees
I cried out God hear me please
I feel that I am in disdain
Not worthy to be heard all of my pain.

Are you there?
Oh God are you there?
Do you have time for people like me
Who only thinks of what matters for me?

My Lord I kneel in your presence
For people told me of your absence
Specially when things gone out of hand
And when I do things all with my hand.

Then you beamed a blinding light on to me
So I look up and listen to be told by Thee
To made it known unto me
That this indeed is a very special day You've made for me.

You said to me, I am the Lord of forever
The Lord who promised to be and walk with you
You said You got my back no matter what
That I just have to trust and hold Your hand.

You said You will not leave nor forsake me
That You won't condemn nor forget me
That You are my portion and my wholeness
That You are willing and able to love me with your kindness.

Oh Lord what have I done,
That I did not trust the sturdiness of Your hand
That You can bring me to places I only dream of
To fulfill the destiny You have made me of.

Lord I reach my hand out to You
And forgive me for what I have done onto You
You said, "My child hush now
Come to me and I will give you rest now."

[Blog] GO and sin no more

These words may sound very powerful and authoritative but don't we find it good to live a sinless life?

In the last installment of our current series, TURNING POINT, there was a clear instruction from God to all of us - GO AND SIN NO MORE. This is a story of a woman caught in the act of adultery. It got me to think, how does it feel to be the woman being put to shame in front of a lot of people? How does the crowd react to this? How will I react to it if I were part of the crowd? I would say, it would have been a very gruesome sight and an ignominious feeling for the woman --- as if she was walking naked.

I asked myself then, were there times that I felt like people were talking about me it may be I was around or not? A LOT OF TIMES. Last year, I confessed to a dear friend that I got involved with her partner during the rocky times of their relationship. After this, she disowned me as her friend and started gossiping about me and what happened. I thought that the effect of me being open to her about what happened would lighten my offense to her but I was wrong. For months, I had to bear the "looks" and the "talks" about me but I did not care. I told myself, it'll pass and I will be vindicated. Time passed and the talks were mummed for there are more juicy stories about other stuff so mine was sort of forgotten. I have forgiven her already and as of today, we are now talking civilly.

Another one was just recently when I confronted a friend who gave other people malicious thoughts about me. As I mentioned in my previous blog, she said some very degrading thoughts about me and my financial status. Last Sunday morning, I got the chance to talk to her and I brought in the person she offended as well. I tried to fix their dispute but the conversation led me to talk about what I found out about the malicious talks she told people. I prayed to God days prior to Sunday and told God that He knows what really happened and who is telling the truth. Yes, I was hurt but talking to her made me think how will I react to things now that things are being unfolded? Fast forward, I was able to clear my name in front of the other person who is one of those who knew about this gossip. We’re fine and my prayers are with her still.

There are a whole lot more stories about me which would probably take a year to blog about but my only question in mind, how would I react to these things if I do not have God in me? I would have lashed out, bad mouthed and get even with these people so I can convince the crowd that I was not what they think I was. But with me hearing over and over again, with all my power and might, nothing will happen. I am pretty sure that I will end up looking more guilty of what happened which would worsen the situation. What is the best thing to do? Let go and let God work His way. If I reacted differently, I would have committed a sin against these people and my God but I don't want this to happen. Time and again, we've been hearing "forgive and forget" so we can move on but it's not just about moving on. This is the message the Scripture told us to do -- "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." [Colossians 3:13b].

I learned that God wants us to live a sinless life. Have I chosen to sin by lashing out on to these people, it would not do me any good and God will not be happy for this. With regard to the Sunday’s gospel, Jesus challenged the crowd to throw the first stone if no one has sinned at all; hence, people started walking away from the woman. Jesus’ instruction to the adulteress after what happened was, “I do not condemn you. Go and sin no more”. This is a clear showcase of God’s ultimate and unconditional love to us. If we have sinned, He will forgive us, will not condemn us after and will ask us to leave our sinful life. How wonderful to know that I serve a God like this. Never in my life that I would have this kind of encounter with our Almighty. I am a work in progress and I know God does no condemn me for being what I was. He is the God that we all want to have in our lives. A God who wants us to be victorious in every area of our lives.

Thank you Lord for being my God and I will forever be grateful to have you in my life. I will never be the same again because You changed me. You reign in me. You are my God.